OVER THIRTY INTERSEXUALS who were wearing monk robes with their hoods covered their shaven, bald heads — they sat on the pew rows of the Cathedral — while the senescence, Mother Superior taught them at the foot of the altar.

Doran was seated on the last row and like the rest of the androgynous boys, and he was taking notes — with a blunt pencil in his paper notebook, in the digital-age era.

Doran had been struggling for many years in relearning his faith from the two schools of religious practices — his heterodox, Pentecostal mother in the past, would have preached by interpreting God's words literally by quoting straight-up from the Good Book — while here, the Catholic nuns at the orphanage were teaching him more of the ossified traditions and rituals of the old. His mind had assimilated to accept the oddity of both the praxes, after his five years of staying in the abbey.

Beside Mother Superior stood near a goofy, looking boy, Peter, who was dressed up in a Catholic, altar-boy cotton habit — he was holding a chained metal, thurible censer, smoking with the rosy aroma of the burning myrrh. Although, Peter was not the brightest of the monks at the orphanage — yet, he was proud with his pride to be chosen to stand in front of every one of the boys, by not wearing a heavy monk robe that morning.

"Can anyone of you tell me when the thurible is used during the High Mass?" Mother Superior questioned her twelve-year-old students — Michael soon raised his hand...

"During the Gospel procession," answered Michael.

He was the brightest among the scintillating group in the front pew — whom Mother Superior had transcended them as the potential lot who will someday become excellent trained priests. The old nun added...

"Very good Michael, but in fact, it is used even much earlier during the Mass — like in the priest's entrance procession, where he or she first incensed the Holy Cross and the altar. Then, as Michael has said just now, it is used during the Gospel procession and proclamation. This is followed by the thurible censing, which is done after the bread and chalice are placed on the altar..."

Suddenly, everyone's attention turned to the sound of a siren outside the window — that made some of the twelve-year-olds to stand up and gawk.

Mother Superior declaimed out aloud. "All of you, stay seated!"

An ambulance was in the compound of the Cathedral — and it was driving towards the Convent and orphanage buildings. Mother Superior took out her cell phone and switched it on. She was calling Sister Margaret — as the curious, on looking monk-boys anticipated her to start speaking...

A younger nun ran into the cathedral hallway at the same time, and her phone rang with a Christmas carol ring-tone. Everyone's head turned to notice the nun — who stopped halfway inside the Cathedral, to answer her phone...

"Hello?"

"Sister Margaret! It is me — I am trying to call you."

The older nun voiced out at her when she saw Sister Margaret inside the church. It made some of the boys laugh at their confusion — Sister Margaret looking astounded, as she strode fast over to the altar...

"O Mother-Superior, we are trying to call you too, a while ago — but your phone was switched off."

"Of course, I switch off this phone during my lectures, in the house of God. So, what is going on? Why is there an ambulance in the church compound?"

"Mother, it is Sister Lisa-Marie — she collapsed just now."

The dismayed voice of the approaching nun replied back — Doran looked up shocked like the rest — he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"What happened?" Mother Superior uttered in incertitude.

"She had a stroke, and we called the hospital — then, we tried to reach you..."

Doran stood up, and dashed out toward the front door — he badly wanted to be at Sister Lisa's side.

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"Doran! Doran, come back here!" Mother Superior called out in vain.

Most of the other excited Intersexuals monks, got up on their feet when they spotted Doran leaving — someone said out...

"He is going to do something crazy. Come, let's go and see!"

The twelve-year-olds all started running behind Doran — and even Peter, in the altar-boy attire — left the smoking censer of incense that he was holding behind, as he too joined them running away...

"All of you, get back here — and sit down!"

Mother Superior hollered again in the Cathedral, but no one heeded, except for the boys in the front pew — the obedient Michael, Matthew and the handful few — who were all the old nun's favourite students.

Mother Superior shook her head in disbelief and together with Sister Margaret, they too walked out. Michael and his disciplined group meekly followed the two nuns from behind.

*

Doran dashed into the Convent front yard with the parked ambulance, and he was followed by the group of rumpus cheering monk-boys. They were all stopped by some shouting nuns at the entrance...

"Stop! You know the house-rules — no boys are allowed inside the Convent."

The garboil continued when Doran disobediently slipped inside...

He ran in to encounter three female paramedics, loading the unconscious Sister Lisa-Marie on a gurney — he called out her name aloud and approached, but one of the medical EMT pushed him aside while carting the gurney outside to the waiting ambulance. Doran was still in a state of shock — he just followed them quietly when they wheeled her out. They deracinated the unconscious nun, inside the back of the vehicle...

Doran tried to get in...

"I am following Sister Lisa-Marie to the hospital." The woman driver at the vehicle blocked him...

"No, it is against the hospital policy for minors to catch a ride with us."

"But I insist!"

Doran shouted back in desperation, holding on the door tight. A Black nun inside the ambulance disclosed...

"You cannot go, Doran, Mother Superior will not permit any of you boys to leave the premise."

Doran became aggressive when he heard Sister Anita's excuses, and he retaliated...

"No! I will follow Sister Lisa!"

He was then pushed aside by the adult ambulance driver before closing the back doors. Doran paced in aggravation to the driver's seat — and he pulled out the ignition key.

The approaching Mother Superior sensed a commotion ahead at the Convent, she turned to Michael. "Michael, go and see what is going on there." The dutiful monk nodded in assent and raced ahead, with Matthew following him from behind.

"Give me the key, boy," the female driver demanded.

The rest of the startled young-monks observed the accrued Doran, challenging the woman driver...

"No, if I can't go — I will not give the key!"

Nobody at the orphanage had seen him this intractable, even the nuns around were afraid to approach nearer, when Doran was inveighed in hostility. Doran heard a lot of annoyed, scolding voices that were loud and piercing around him — and there was also a laughing woman at the back — it was a familiar taunting voice from his past.

Michael turned up and spotted the disorientated Doran holding the key of the ambulance, and he closed into him. "Doran, what are you doing?" The scar-faced boy was repeating...

"Michael, I will follow Sister Lisa Marie to the hospital — go now and tell that to Mother Superior!" He kept reiterating to himself...

"No matter what, I will follow Sister Lisa Marie to the hospital!"

Doran was trying to drown the voices around that were still rebuking him — especially that single annoying laughter...

"Doran, what will you possibly do when you get there, tell me now!!?"

The dazed Doran was baffled...

"I, I — she will need me, Michael — and I need to be there with her too!" But, Michael was now firm with him...

"What now? Are you a doctor, Doran? You listen to me here right now, Sister Lisa is in serious danger, and she truly needs medical attention."

But, Doran kept repeating to himself. "I must go with her!"

He still could not block the scornful laughter — mocking inside in his head.

Michael grabbed his arm and was unfaltering. "Hey, and do what over there, Doran!!? She is dying right now, and she needs a doctor — but you are delaying them...

"Do you want Sister Lisa to be dead, Doran — answer me now!!?"

Doran was thrown off-guard — he shook his head, looking dumbstruck — Michael was still unwavering, and came over closer...

"Give me the key now!"

Michael snatched the key off Doran's palm — and passed it to the ambulance driver.

The crying Doran was now gripped Michael's arm, sounding helpless — which was a forlorn attempt to get into the vehicle when he heard the ignition key had started the vehicle's engine...

"Why none of us is following!!? Now, what am I to do here!!?"

"Let's go and pray for her. We pray to God that the doctors at the hospital will save Sister Lisa Marie — come, my brother..."

Michael's voice resolute him — Doran tearfully caught a final glimpse of the ambulance, with the howling siren driving away — while Michael and Mathew led him in the path towards the Cathedral.

Michael was being supportive — despite the rest of the monks, who saw Doran as a crazy balking roughneck who arrived five years ago — rather than someone of the compliant to their serious Catholic faith, like the rest of them at the abbey.

The outspoken Michael in the group understood Doran's predicament, and he empathized — knowing how much the old nun meant to him. His small supportive group of the monk-boys soon took him to the Cathedral — and they prayed together for the recovery of the ailing nun.

The stroke that Sister Lisa was suffering now was a new emotional welt among the rest of the other scars that Doran physically bore.

He cried more than he prayed.